Environmental Scientist Advisor, Kentucky Division of Water, Commonwealth of Kentucky – Energy and Environment Cabinet

As a career employee of the Energy and Environment Cabinet, Paulette Akers has worked in the Department of Natural Resources and the Department for Environmental Protection for more than twenty years. Currently, Paulette serves as the Gulf Hypoxia Program Engagement Coordinator in the Division of Water and works to support activities occurring in nutrient priority watersheds and develop new tools and partnerships to support nutrient reduction in those areas and across the Commonwealth. She works specifically in areas such as wastewater treatment plant nutrient optimization, agriculture and with partners in Tennessee. Previously, she served 5 years as the Director of the Division of
Conservation and 2 years as the Director of the Division of Compliance Assistance. Her early career was with the Division of Water in the Water Quality and Watershed Management Branches.

Paulette is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University where she earned a BS degree in Biology and an MS degree in Applied Ecology. Paulette lives in Woodford County with her husband and dog Grizzle. They have two adult kids.

Nonprofit Management Consultant and Rock Climber

Before becoming involved with advocacy, social justice and nonprofit management, Shannon spent fifteen years in the thoroughbred racehorse industry riding and training.  Growing up in a military family she lived all over the U.S. and overseas before permanently settling in Lexington in 1986 after graduating from UCLA to attend UK Law School.

An outdoor enthusiast, avid rock climber and dedicated vegan Shannon has always been interested in the outdoors and environmental sustainability.  In 1996 Shannon started a rock climbing advocacy nonprofit dedicated to securing access to climbing and protecting the environment as its Founder-Executive Director.  Since then, she has served on numerous local and national nonprofit boards before starting her own consulting company, Free Agent for Change, LLC with special emphasis on strategic planning, board development and capacity building for social justice and civil rights nonprofit organizations.

Today Shannon is retired from being a paid consultant instead offers her expertise pro bono to small nonprofits while she now pursues climbing full time at her beloved Red River Gorge with her spouse and two dogs.

CPA and Partner, MCM CPAs & Advisors

Debbie has been with MCM for more than 18 years and has more than 20 years of public accounting experience.  Her focus and concentration includes external audit procedures, reviews, consulting, and internal control and system reviews within the governmental, non-profit, manufacturing, and financial institutions industries.  Debbie is responsible for planning, supervising, and overseeing the completion of assurance engagements for MCM’s Lexington office.

President Emeritus, Bluegrass Community and Technical College and President, Julian-Carver Family Foundation, Inc.

Dr. Augusta A. Julian served for more than 40 years in community college education.  She started her career in her native North Carolina teaching developmental education at Durham Technical Community College.  Dr. Julian later moved to Madison, WI as a vice president at the college there.  She served as president of Maysville Community and Technical College in Kentucky for six years and headed Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC) for 11 years.  BCTC had seven campuses, more than 45 programs of study, and significant online offerings during her tenure.  Campus development took up much of her time resulting in seven building and renovation projects including the new and repurposed Newtown Campus in Lexington.  Dr. Julian earned an M.Ed. at UNC-Chapel Hill and a Doctorate in Adult and Community College Education from NC State University.  She retired in 2018 and now runs a small family foundation that supports higher education.

Director of Destination Stewardship and Community Engagement, VisitLEX

Arin works as a project manager at VisitLEX, the city’s destination marketing organization. She currently serves as the chair for Keep Lexington Beautiful, sits on the Young Leaders Advisory Council for Keep America Beautiful, and sits on the United States Travel Association’s Sustainability Coalition. She works on sustainability in tourism in Lexington and the Bluegrass Region. After growing up in Danville, Arin received a bachelor’s degree in History and French and received her master’s degree in History. She and her husband live in downtown Lexington and spend their vacations trying to visit all the National Parks.

As a native Kentuckian, Kevin is passionate about protecting the state’s natural beauty and improving the lives of Kentuckians. After studying chemical engineering at the University of Kentucky, he earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin, where his research focused on developing new techniques for understanding how air pollution can affect health. His subsequent postdoctoral research projects in yeast engineering and air quality led him back to Lexington, where Kevin now works to help grow the bourbon industry sustainably as the Education Coordinator at the James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits. Kevin and his wife live in Lexington with their two dogs, and they enjoy the bluegrass scenery riding bikes on the Legacy Trail during the summer.

Associate Counsel – Privacy & Compliance at Valvoline Global

Grace is in-house counsel at Valvoline Global where she advises on privacy and compliance matters. She manages Valvoline Global’s ethics and compliance framework and is a main contributor to the global compliance program. Her work is also focused on corporate governance and ESG efforts. Grace is a graduate of Centre College and she received her Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law, where she was the Executive Editor of the Kentucky Journal of Equine, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Law.

Attorney and partner at Barnett
Benvenuti & Butler PLLC

After growing up in Louisville, Kimberly completed her undergraduate studies
and legal education at the University of Kentucky. Kimberly has practiced law for over 17 years, primarily in the field of medical malpractice defense litigation. She also spent several years working in the Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet, including the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Kimberly loves traveling and hiking with her husband and cultivating her hobby of nature and landscape photography. She has a passion for cooking and enjoys growing produce and culinary herbs in the backyard garden. She lives in Lexington with her husband, Andrew.

Born and raised in the Bluegrass, Jenny Howard Owen is passionate about reconnecting her fellow Kentuckians to their local environment.  Within the past 20 years, her work in environmental education has taken her from the savannahs of central Africa (via Peace Corps), along the shores of VA and NC (with US Fish & Wildlife Service), and back home to the Bluegrass State, with Lake Barkley State Park, KY Division of Water, KY Dept of Education, and the KY Association for Environmental Education. In her current position, she organizes education programs for and with farmers interested in regenerative organic practices.  Jenny, her husband Jacob, and their son Birch live, plant, and play in the rolling countryside of Anderson County.

Manager – Quality, Compliance, and Sustainability at Lexmark International, Inc.

Phillip is born and raised in the bluegrass state and has split his life between the small towns of Western Kentucky and the “city life” of Lexington, starting with and continuing after graduation from the University of Kentucky.  Phillip received an undergraduate and graduate degree in Chemical Engineering from UK, where his research focused on utilizing scrap tire rubber for the remediation of chlorinated solvents in groundwater.  Phillip joined Lexmark in 2000 and has managed technical teams in Research & Development before recently joined the Quality, Compliance, and Sustainability organization.  Phillip is an avid kayaker in his free time and understands first hand the value in protecting, conserving, and restoring our headwaters.  He is a two-time volunteer of the month with a national river conservation non-profit.  Phillip lives in Lexington and is married with three small children.

Tommaso Turchiano joined the board in 2024.  His knowledge of the waste and recycling industry stems from over 22 years of industry experience from Rumpke Waste and Recycling, Cascade Cart Solutions, Waste Management, Republic Services, City of Cincinnati and now back at Rumpke as the Area Public Affairs Manager.  Tom brings a variety of skills and knowledge to the board such as fund raising and his vast knowledge from the waste and recycling industry.  He enjoys attending sports events and is also the voice/ PA Announcer for Anderson High School Raptor’s football team in Cincinnati! 

General Counsel, Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet

Jacob currently serves in the administration of the 61st Governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear, as Deputy General Counsel for the Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet. He serves in Cabinet leadership and advises the Cabinet’s ten divisions and departments with respect to legal matters. Jacob is a graduate of the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky, and the University of Tennessee College of Law. He lives in Lexington with his wife, Amanda, and daughter, Madelyn.